


Actually, this is a secret

by ring_my_bell



Category: Death Stranding (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:14:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22959991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ring_my_bell/pseuds/ring_my_bell
Summary: Sam Strand couldn't have a easy high school life could he? Of course some asshole would be transferred to his school with the only purpose of annoying him.
Relationships: Sam Porter Bridges/Higgs Monaghan
Kudos: 41





	Actually, this is a secret

**Author's Note:**

> I love high school AUs don't @ me

Life at home was so exhausting, his mother was never there and his sister started working with her so she was always away as well. Sam was lonely and sad. He didn’t have any friends at his school, he had so much free time even though he studied for hours and did his homework everyday. He didn’t get astounding grades, but they were good. He was a good and responsible son. Good student, good manners, quiet, grateful. A dream child for so many parents.

But still, he didn’t do anything other than his responsibilities, he was bored. He missed playing with Amelie, even though he was sixteen already. She’d always give him attention, making their big house feel less empty. 

He never saw his mother outside school, she was the principal so… the irony is that he saw her everyday at school, but they never talked,  _ talked. _ She wasn’t a bad mother. Just a busy one, raising two children alone isn’t easy and he understood that.

But still, it didn’t make him any less miserable. His teachers noticed his apathetic behavior, the school counselor talked to him. Suggested he found a hobby, made new friends or anything really, to put his energy and his time. Usual counselor stuff.

He hated talking to people, hated being touched, hated being vulnerable. But still, he wanted attention, wanted someone to talk to. Ironic isn’t it? 

His counselor gave him a journal, maybe starting one won’t be that bad. Sure it will be hundreds of pages containing. “Dear diary, today, I did nothing.” but still, it would be nice to write it down, count his days doing nothing. See how long he’ll take to meltdown.

Then his monotonous routine got a little bit less monotonous when this new student was transferred to his school.

His name was Higgs Monaghan. Looked like a prick, talked like a prick and… probably was a prick. Biggest indicators would be the all black look, painted nails and eyeliner. Sam was pretty sure students weren’t allowed to wear make up in school grounds.

  
  


He didn’t really care about him at first. But Higgs was for some reason really invested in Sam. For all the wrong reasons, he loved to annoy Sam. Leave notes in his locker, stealing his headphones, he could swear he also took pictures of him when he wasn’t looking for some weird reason. Normally Sam went unnoticed in school but Higgs always announced his presence, making all eyes fall on him. That made him want to vomit, so many people looking at him at once. 

Sam was fed up with his bullshit, so finally he decided to confront him. He saw him alone by his locker (miraculously, it’s been just a month of his presence in the school and he gathered a large following. But no friends apparently.) 

He poked Higgs’ shoulder. “Hey, Monaghan.” Higgs tensed up and quickly closed his locker, Sam raised an eyebrow. 

He looked back at Sam, his face was clean of make up today. He looked so harmless and normal like this. His lips were very small, so small in fact they looked like cat lips. He looked like a cat. Cute. 

“Who do I owe the pleasure to be talking to Samuel Strand?” He said in his usual sarcastic tone.

Sam rolled his eyes. “What’s your deal with me?”

“What deal?” He said picking at his nails, feigning ignorance.

“You keep annoying me, stealing my shit and leaving weird notes in my locker in a language I can’t read.”

Higgs chuckled. “It’s Arabic. Egyptian arabic more precisely.”

Sam was so confused. “Well I can’t speak arabic, so please enlighten me.”

Higgs shook his head. “Can’t do that… but…” He got closer to Sam and whispered in his ear. “I can teach you, if you want.”

Sam pushed him back. “The hell” Sam got flustered. His cheeks felt warmer than before. He looked to the floor. “I asked a simple question, what is your fucking deal?”

“Just can’t stand privileged assholes like you.” He crossed his arms and leaned in his locker.

Sam knew he was privileged, his mother was pretty much the owner of this school. But still, he didn’t do anything to anyone. He didn’t bother anyone. “I never did anything to you, to anyone in fact.”

“But you keep walking around with that… pretentious attitude, like you’re better than everyone, oh… look at me, quiet and cold Sam Strand… So over all these peasants that will need to work and study everyday of their lives to be someone…”

“I do not think like that.” Sam was annoyed.

“Whatever, Strand.”

Sam sighed. He definitely was discounting some anger at Sam for no reason. “Like, you can hate me as much as you want? I do not give a shit. But leave me alone.”

“Can’t do that, sorry.” He smiled.

“Why?” Sam was getting annoyed.

Higgs got close again and pinched Sam’s chin. “Seeing your cute face annoyed is priceless.” Sam slapped his hand away. Higgs laughed. “See ya later, Sammy boy.”

“Fuck you.”

Higgs winked and left. 

Fucking psycho. After a long day of classes and more of Higgs idiotic pranks Sam went home (alone as always, good thing he got his license, he hated being picked up by his mother’s personal driver. People always stared at him. Now people stare at his obviously overpriced car his mother gave him for his birthday, but it felt a little less weird since a lot of other teens had cars too.)

When he got home he stormed to his room and for the first time in months he finally had something to write in his diary.

_ Dear diary, Higgs is a pain in the fucking ass  _

\--

Another day, another fucking note in Arabic in his locker. God what is he trying to accomplish with these? He didn’t even know how to write this to translate online.

But he couldn’t lose his cool, he had to prove to Higgs he wasn’t going to play his game. If he got angry and lashed out, he would win. He did not want to give him that satisfaction. 

So he did the only sensible thing someone can do. Surprise Higgs in his own element, give an answer he is not expecting. After the lunch bell rang, he scoured the school grounds for that cat-rat douchebag.

He found him in the bleachers drinking soda alone. The moment he saw Sam his expression changed, he got all smug. Sam already sighed and regretted immediately looking for this dickhead.

“Hello Sammy boy, came to make me company in this lonely lunch break?”

He handed him his note. “Teach me how to read Arabic.”

“What?”

“You said you would teach me. My house, 7 PM.” He turned his heel and left.

Higgs mouth was agape. He shouted “I don’t know where your house is!”

Sam looked back and pointed at the note. Higgs turned in and there was written Sam’s address.

\--

Sam knew he wouldn’t come, he just wanted to shock him. That would ensure he’d be left alone for a week or two. He smiled as he did his homework. 

The doorbell rang. 

Sam froze. 

He isn’t seriously gonna come here.

Sam went down, the doorbell ringing more and more. 

“I’m going! Stop it!” He shouted.

He unlocked the door and opened it, revealing just the face he did not want to see. Higgs wearing a light grey hoodie and blue jeans. Wow he looked like a normal teen. He was holding a pile of Arabic books. “Well, let’s get started!”

“I didn’t think you would actually come.”

Sam led the way to his room. 

“Well… I was bored.” Half-truths. “Were you doing anything important Mr. Rich Kid?”

“Homework, but I’m so ahead in it. So no.”

They entered Sam’s bedroom. It was big, very big. Probably the biggest Higgs’ had seen. He looked around, it was barely decorated. Had Sam’s beed, his desk, a bookshelf and a stand with a big flat screen TV and some game consoles. Also, impossible to miss the giant window with the pretty burgundy curtains. The whole room was so chic, but it had no indicators of Sam’s interests.

Sam sat in his chair by the desk, Higgs did the same, placing the books on top of it. 

“Are you of arabian descent?” 

“Nope, I’m white as it gets.” He admitted. “Learned it for fun, ever since I was a kid I thought the writing was pretty, so… I just self taught myself. I love the egyptian aesthetic as well.”

“Cool.”

“Do you know any other languages?” Higgs rested his head in his hands.

“My mom makes me study a bunch of them. But they don’t really stick.” 

“Well! I’m here to help your poor rich kid brain. Get your pen!”

Hours passed, Higgs was a surprisingly good teacher. Sam was getting the hang of the writing already. They didn’t even look at the time. 

“Ugh… I need a break. My eyes are tired.” Sam said. Higgs chuckled and patted his back.

“Sure. We can pick it up another day.”

“Wanna eat something?”

“Like what?”

“I think we have some leftover pizza.”

“Now you’re speaking my language, Strand.”

Sam smiled. “Just call me Sam. I think we’ve settled a truce.”

“Did we?” Higgs laughed.

Sam rolled his eyes. “Want the pizza or not?” Sam said leaving the room.

“Yeah, Yeah I’m coming.” 

They heated the pepperoni flavored pizza slices and sat on Sam’s couch and started to watch a horror flick. It was pretty recent. It was a pretty cool looking film, it took place in the day even though it was a horror movie, there were a lot of flowers and nature in the scenario. Higgs didn’t pay attention to the name. But he was thoroughly enjoying the protagonist’s struggles with loss and anxiety. Felt so real.

Sam looked at the clock. It was getting late. “Your parents’ aren’t gonna worry bout you being out so late?” Sam looked at Higgs, who was very focused in the movie.

He sighed. “I live with my uncle and maybe he’ll get mad. Don’t give a fuck though.”

Rebellious kid attitude as Sam expected. 

“Where is your family?” Higgs asked.

“Mom is always late. Amelie is working with her now at the school too so she is always late. I’m home alone for most of the day. Sometimes I only see them in the morning.” he said, watching the protagonist dance around a maypole embezzled with flowers. 

“That sucks.”

Sam breathed in and rested his head back. “Yep it does.” He looked at Higgs. They didn’t notice how close they were. “You can sleep here if you want.”

Higgs looked at him. “Not scared I’ll do weird things to you while you sleep”

“I’m willing to take the risk.”

They just looked at each other, ignoring what was transpiring in the movie.

Higgs kissed Sam without thinking. It was just a lock of their lips. 

To be honest, Sam kinda expected it. But still looked in disbelief at him. Eyes fixed on Higgs’ own blue ones. Higgs had an expression that showed remorse, a look of ‘i fucked it up’

“I-I’m sorry.” Higgs said. Flustered. His face was red from shame.

Sam just stared at him. Higgs’ chest was rising up and down. He was definitely really nervous. But Sam couldn’t find the right words.

“I should just go, my uncle will kill me so, bye” Higgs got up and Sam stopped him by grabbing his hand.

“I’m not mad.” Sam pulled him. Higgs looked at him in disbelief.

“I won’t do it again, I swear.” He looked so apologetic. It didn’t fit Higgs at all.

“Even if I ask you to do it?” Sam said getting up.

“Um I, I erm…” Higgs was speechless. He avoided eye contact. 

How ironic, the roles have switched.

“We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. But really, you can sleep here. I can tell you don’t want to go back.”

Sam squeezed his hand. “I’d like that.” Higgs said.

“Well let’s get back to the movie, we can sleep after it.”

Higgs nodded and they sat back on the sofa. They weren’t cuddling. But if someone asked if Higgs rested his head on Sam’s shoulders he would tell them to fuck off and to not say absurdities.

After the movie they went back up to Sam’s bedroom. Higgs would fit in his king size bed and he wasn’t opposed to sharing it with Sam.

He laid down in it and started dozing off right away. Sam smiled, but before he himself would go to bed he wrote in his journal.

_ Dear diary, Higgs is not as bad as I thought. _

Sticking the note he was so desperately trying to decipher below the writing.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments always appreciated! Also PLEASE go watch midsommar, it's the horror movie I alluded to in the couch scene.


End file.
